Month: November 2025

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will extend a comprehensive soft landing package to five Indian startups, enabling them to expand operations in the UAE and scale their businesses globally. The startups were selected under the India-UAE CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) Council programme after a multi-stage evaluation process, Director of the UAE-India CEPA Council, Ahmed Aljneibi.

Speaking to ANI, Aljneibi highlighted the overwhelming response received for the programme, saying, “We had 10,000 applications since the launch back in June… I’m so happy that we finally reached the conclusion of identifying 20 of the best and brightest startups in India and narrowing them down to the five winners who will join us in the UAE for an immersion programme. We will provide them with a soft landing package to help them expand their business into the UAE and, hopefully, scale up globally.”

Detailing the support structure, the CEPA Council Director said the package will include visas, accommodation, transportation, mentorship, trade licensing facilitation and opportunities to engage with investors. “Hopefully, they can find some investment opportunities during their time in the UAE,” he added, noting that the evaluation focused on startups solving real-world problems relevant to the UAE and the broader MENA region. “It was very hard to choose from all 10,000… This is the first iteration of the UAE-India startup series, and we hope to continue this after today,” he said.

DocketRun Founder and CEO Ajay Kabadi outlined plans to expand the company’s operations. “We are working closely with heavy industries in the UAE of steel, aluminium and other industries to replicate the benchmarks we have set in India… We have seen great results in India, and it’s going to work out similarly across other regions as well,” he said.

Raghavendra Meharwade, Mentor at DocketRun, emphasised how the programme’s support enabled them to scale effectively. “… We are into the business of saving lives and increasing the productivity of industries… Our next goal is to prove the same use cases in the UAE at a larger scale… Being selected from 10,000 to being in the top five was not an easy journey. But a fantastic environment and the support provided by this forum, which we used to scale up, helped us believe that we can make it,” he said.

The participation of these startups reflects CEPA’s growing role in enabling market access, investment channels and technology exchange between India and the UAE. With the Gulf region emerging as a global hub for advanced and future industries, Indian entrepreneurs are increasingly exploring the UAE’s rapidly growing innovation ecosystem for expansion, partnerships and capital opportunities. (ANI)

Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray has criticised the International Cricket Council (ICC) for selecting Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium as the venue for the 2026 T20 World Cup final, alleging “sudden politics of favouritism.”

In a post on X on Tuesday, Thackeray questioned the ICC for not choosing Mumbai’s iconic Wankhede stadium, despite its historical significance, including the 2011 World Cup Final, in which Team India thrashed Sri Lanka under the captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni to lift the ODI World Cup after 28 years.

“So the T20 World Cup fixture is out. Guess where the Final is scheduled? Ahmedabad. What’s this fascination of pulling every single final there? Has this been a traditional cricket venue?” he asked.

“Why not Mumbai? Wankhede will be the absolute best venue for a T20 World Cup final. Remember 2011?” Thackeray further raised questions.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA further highlighted that the stadium in Ahmedabad has already hosted a World Cup final in which India lost to Australia in 2023.

“Expecting the @ICC not to indulge in politics and favouritism. Likewise, Eden Gardens- Kolkata, MA Chidambaram Stadium- Chennai, IS Bindra- Mohali… all of these are good to host the T20 World Cup Finals…But due to this sudden politics of favouritism, we face injustice,” Aaditya Thackeray said.

The world’s largest cricket venue, the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, has been earmarked to host the final on March 8, in a tournament that will span eight electrifying venues across India and Sri Lanka. The MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chennai), Arun Jaitley Stadium (New Delhi), Wankhede Stadium (Mumbai), Eden Gardens (Kolkata), R Premadasa Stadium (Colombo), Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground (Colombo) and Pallekele International Cricket Stadium (Kandy) round out the full list of host venues. The complete schedule was unveiled at a glittering ceremony in Mumbai.

ICC Chairman Jay Shah presided over the event, which showcased the fixtures. Sharing the stage were Rohit Sharma, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup-winning captain and newly appointed ICC Brand Ambassador, India’s T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav, and India women’s captain and reigning ICC CWC 2025 winner Harmanpreet Kaur. (ANI)

Former India skipper Rohit Sharma, who captained reigning champions India to glory at the previous Men’s T20 World Cup in 2024, has been announced as the tournament ambassador for the 2026 edition to be held in India and Sri Lanka, as per the official website of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

“It’s my honour to announce that @ImRo45 is the tournament ambassador for the upcoming @T20WorldCup in India & Sri Lanka. There can be no better representative for the event than the winning captain of the 2024 T20 World Cup, and a player who has been in all nine editions so far,” ICC Chair Jay Shah said on in a post on X.

It’s my honour to announce that @ImRo45 is the tournament ambassador for the upcoming @T20WorldCup in India & Sri Lanka.
There can be no better representative for the event than the winning captain of the 2024 T20 World Cup, and a player who has been in all nine editions so far. pic.twitter.com/muWh3mUflj

— Jay Shah (@JayShah) November 25, 2025

Rohit was prolific for India in T20Is, finishing with 4231 runs at an average of 32.01 and a strike-rate of 140.89.

He is one of the few players to have been part of two successful Men’s T20 World Cup campaigns, the first of which came in the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2007, while the latter came in the latest edition of the tournament in 2024.

In the 2007 campaign, which was also Rohit’s debut in the format, the batter had a sensational run, hitting 88 runs without being dismissed, including crucial knocks in the Super Eights phase versus South Africa (50) and in the final versus Pakistan (30).

The 2024 campaign was even more special, where Rohit captained India to the elusive title.

He led by example and was prolific with the bat, being India’s highest run-getter with 257 runs at a strike-rate of 156.70.

His quickfire starts gave the Team in Blue an early advantage at the start of the innings. His standout performances came in the Super Eights against Australia (92 off 41) and the semi-final versus England (57 off 39).

He announced his retirement from the shortest format following India’s triumph at the 2024 T20 World Cup, which broke the 11-year drought of ICC trophies for the senior Men’s side.

Speaking about being named the tournament ambassador, Rohit said, “I wish all the players the very best and hope they have a memorable time and enjoy India’s hospitality while taking back a lot of memories.”

“I wish all the players the very best and hope they have a memorable time and enjoy India’s hospitality while taking back a lot of memories,” he said.

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 will be played from February 7 to March 8, 2026. (ANI)

President Donald Trump continued the long-standing White House tradition of pardoning two turkeys ahead of Thanksgiving, granting clemency to birds named Waddle and Gobble during a ceremony marked by humour and political barbs.

“Gobble, I just want to tell you, this is very important: you are hereby unconditionally pardoned,” Trump told one of the birds, which responded with loud gobbling sounds.

The annual turkey pardon spares selected birds from becoming part of the traditional Thanksgiving meal, which will be celebrated across the United States on Thursday and typically features roast turkey.

This year’s fortunate fowl, named Waddle and Gobble, hail from North Carolina. The pair enjoyed accommodation at The Willard Intercontinental, a luxury hotel, before their appearance at the White House.

The quirky tradition dates back to 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln is said to have spared a turkey’s life after his son became fond of the bird.

In remarks that mixed humour with political commentary, Trump opened the ceremony by claiming all turkey pardons issued by his predecessor, Joe Biden, were invalid due to his use of an autopen.

He said two birds previously pardoned by Biden – Peach and Blossom – had been located just before they were due to be slaughtered. “I am officially pardoning them, and they will not be served for Thanksgiving dinner,” he said. “We saved them in the nick of time.”

The ceremony, which drew a substantial crowd including numerous Trump cabinet members and their families, featured several political gibes aimed at Congressional Democrats.

Trump remarked that upon seeing the turkeys, he considered naming them Chuck and Nancy, in an apparent reference to Democrats Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi.

“But then I realised I wouldn’t be pardoning them. I would never pardon those two people,” Trump said, adding he would not do so “no matter what Melania told me”.

Trump previously conducted the pardoning ceremony in November 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic and shortly after his election defeat. On that occasion, he pardoned turkeys named Corn and Cobb.

Both Waddle and Gobble will now return to their home state of North Carolina, escaping the fate of the approximately 46 million turkeys consumed across America during Thanksgiving.

The tradition extends beyond the White House, with governors in several US states holding their own turkey pardoning ceremonies. The creative naming of the birds remains one of the ceremony’s most entertaining elements. (ANI)

Brazil’s Supreme Court on Tuesday (local time) ordered former President Jair Bolsonaro to begin serving his 27-year prison sentence for allegedly plotting an attempted coup, CNN reported.

Bolsonaro, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, was convicted in 2022 of conspiring to overthrow his successor, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. His defence team chose not to file a final appeal against the conviction. As a result, Justice Moraes declared the ruling final, closing the door on any further appeals and activating the full 27-year sentence.

According to CNN, Bolsonaro has been in custody at Brazil’s Federal Police headquarters since Saturday after authorities detained him for allegedly tampering with his court-ordered ankle monitor. On Tuesday, Justice Moraes stated that Bolsonaro would serve his sentence at the police headquarters.

The former army captain, who lost the 2022 election to Lula, was convicted in September of attempting to block Lula from taking office. The court found him guilty of five crimes, including forming an armed criminal organisation, attempting to abolish democracy and organising a violent coup plot.

Earlier, the 70-year-old former leader, who was under house arrest, was accused of trying to break his electronic ankle monitor, which he has been wearing since August.

The court said Bolsonaro used a soldering iron on the device in an attempt to escape, noting that he had become a “high flight risk.”

A video made public by the court showed the monitoring bracelet burnt and damaged, but still strapped to his ankle. In the footage, Bolsonaro admitted he had used the tool on the device out of “curiosity.”

Bolsonaro has repeatedly denied wrongdoing in the coup attempt case.

Meanwhile, Trump called the proceedings a “witch hunt” and had earlier imposed punitive tariffs and sanctions on Brazil over the issue. Trump said he had spoken to Bolsonaro recently and planned to meet him in the near future.

In a sharp escalation of tensions, the US also revoked the visa of Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversaw the case, and announced higher tariffs.

Trump had previously said he knew and worked with Bolsonaro and respected him greatly. (ANI)

Union Minister Giriraj Singh launched a scathing attack on Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Humayun Kabir over his claim that he would lay the foundation of a “Babri Masjid” in Murshidabad, alleging that the TMC is not constructing a mosque but rather laying the foundation stone of “Bangladesh” in West Bengal.

Singh further claimed that the Mamata Banerjee government survives on the “support of Bangladeshis and Rohingyas”, cautioning that TMC’s “politics on the dead bodies of Hindus will not last long.”

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the Union Minister said, “The TMC will not lay the foundation stone of the Babri Masjid, but the foundation stone of Bangladesh. Hindus of Bengal should not forget that Mamata Banerjee and the TMC government run on the support of Bangladeshis and Rohingyas. The way they are playing politics on the dead bodies of Hindus will not last long.”

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ashwini Kumar Choubey also criticised the move, stating that people with “destructive intent” were trying to disturb social harmony and asserting that neither a temple nor a mosque would be accepted if built in the name of Babur.

“No temple or mosque will ever be built in this country in the name of Babur. People with destructive tendencies want to spread a polluted atmosphere in society… Hindu society, Sanatan society, will never accept this,” he told reporters.

The remarks came after TMC MLA Kabir triggered controversy by announcing that he would lay the foundation stone of Babri Masjid on December 6 in Beldanga, Murshidabad district, marking 33 years since the demolition of the disputed structure in Ayodhya.

“We will lay the foundation stone of Babri Masjid on December 6 in Beldanga, Murshidabad district. It will take three years to complete. Various Muslim leaders will participate in that event,” he said.

The Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid disputed structure in Ayodhya was demolished on December 6, 1992, by the Kar Sevaks.

Earlier, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla launched a scathing attack against Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Humayun Kabir for claiming to build the Babri Masjid in West Bengal, calling it appeasement politics for votes.

Calling Kabir’s remarks “controversial,” Poonawalla said that the TMC leader believes in abusing Hindus for his vote bank.

The BJP leader told ANI, “This is the appeasement pro-max politics of TMC. TMC now means ‘Tushti Karan Mujhe Chahiye’. This controversial Humayun Kabir, who says he will chop off Hindus and throw them into Bhagirath, is now making yet another controversial statement because their philosophy is, give Hindus gali and take vote bank ki tali (abuse Hindus to gain a vote bank).”

“They are the same people who oppose ‘Jai Shri Ram’, Ram Mandir, who have insulted ‘Maa Sita,’ ‘Maa Durga,’ ‘Maa Kali’, and say Sanatan should be eliminated. These are the same people who, for vote bank politics, will go to any extent, whether it is inciting on Waqf, CAA, SIR, or doing these kinds of things,” he added.

In contrast, Congress leader Udit Raj came to his defence, saying people opposing it are creating “meaningless speculation.”

“If the foundation stone of a temple can be laid, what’s the problem with laying the foundation stone for a mosque? Those who oppose it are creating meaningless speculation. This is religious freedom in this country and in all countries,” Raj said. (ANI)

The bond between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is very strong, as are the bilateral ties and teams of the two countries are coordinating a new visit date, Israel PM’s office said on Tuesday.

In a post of X, the Israeli PM’s office also said that the Prime Minister has full confidence in India’s security under PM Modi.

“Israel’s bond with India and between Prime Minister Netanyahu and Prime Minister @narendramodi is very strong. The PM has full confidence in India’s security under PM Modi, and teams are already coordinating a new visit date,” it said.

Israel’s I24News reported that Netanyahu’s scheduled December visit to India had been put on hold following the blast in Delhi two weeks ago.

After the deadly blast, the Israeli PM had emphasised the unbreakable spirit of both nations in the face of terrorism, declaring that while terror may target cities, it can never break the spirit of resilient nations.

“To our dear friend Narendra Modi and to the brave people of India: Sara and I, and the people of Israel, send our deepest condolences to the families of the victims. Israel stands strong with you in sorrow and in strength in this time,” he had said.

The Israeli Prime Minister had last visited India in 2018. This was the second visit by an Israeli Prime Minister to India, and it came about six months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s historic visit to Israel in 2017.

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal had visited Israel recently

Goyal conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s warm wishes to Netanyahu and updated him on his discussions with Minister Nir Barkat and the outcomes of the Business Forum and CEOs Forum.

In a post on X, Goyal highlighted the signing of the Terms of Reference to launch Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations, expected to boost trade, investment, and technology cooperation. He discussed strengthening innovation ties by combining Israel’s hi-tech strengths with India’s scale and talent.

Goyal sought Netanyahu’s guidance on deepening economic and strategic engagement in sectors like agriculture, water, defence, science, technology, and innovation.The meeting underscores the growing collaboration between India and Israel across economic, technological, and strategic domains, paving the way for expanded cooperation in the years ahead. (ANI)

Star Indian cricketer Virat Kohli was spotted at the Mumbai International Airport. He playfully engaged with the paps and also posed for the photos with them.

Virat Kohli, who has often refrained from engaging with the paparazzi around the world, stopped for a quick photo session at the Mumbai Airport after meeting with his fans and paps.

The star Indian batter donned casual wear for the flight, including black trousers, a white T-shirt, and a brown checked shirt. He complemented his outfit with black sunglasses and a cap.

Virat will play the upcoming ODI match against South Africa starting this Sunday. The first match of the three ODI series will be led by KL Rahul.

During his last match in October against Australia, Virat enthralled the spectators by scripting a classic innings.

In the one-sided affair, Rohit Sharma delivered a batting masterclass with a swashbuckling 121* off 125 deliveries. On the other end, Virat anchored the innings with a composed 74* off 81 balls as India gunned down the 237-run target to notch an emphatic 9-wicket win.

Virat and Rohit retired from the T20I format after lifting the T20 World Cup title in Barbados last year. (ANI)

The Red Cross has received the remains of a hostage and is making its way to Israeli forces inside Gaza for a handover, the Israel Defence Forces said.

The body will then be taken in a convoy to the National Centre for Forensic Medicine for identification.

If confirmed, it would bring the number of bodies in Gaza down to two. (ANI/TPS)

South Korean lawmaker Jaewon Kim, who serves in the National Assembly of Korea, highlighted the deep historical and cultural connections between India and Korea, describing Ayodhya as a place of personal and symbolic significance.

Speaking about the longstanding cultural bond rooted in shared lineage, Kim told ANI, “Ayodhya is a very special place, a very symbolic place to me. The Indian princess, my grand, grand, grandmother, the ancestors, taking that kind of pioneering and telling the spirit and with that kind of cultural open-mindedness, respect for the other unknown culture. She came to Korea, and my grand, grand, grandfather, with respect to the other cultures from India, understood and accepted her.”

Kim said this exchange continues to guide the relationship between India and Korea even today. “In the same way, we also respect each other, Korea and India… Understanding and respecting each other can be a little different and can be similar, but it is based on cultural understanding,” she added.

She also underscored the need for a stronger institutional framework to deepen cinema collaboration between India and Korea, emphasising the importance of a structured business-to-business (B2B) platform for the film industries of both countries.

Speaking on the potential for expanded cross-border cooperation, Kim said, “A B2B platform will be quite helpful. The government can and should take such an initiative… But the government can only provide support or lay a basic framework. It cannot go very deep into building a B2B platform.”

She noted that establishing such a system requires careful handling, given the geopolitical and economic environments both countries operate in. “I would like to assert that this can be a sensitive issue. India is located on the western side, reaching up to Europe. Korea is located far East. Somehow we are under the influence of the US, Japan and China also…” she said.

Highlighting the significance of global copyright norms, Kim pointed to the existing frameworks followed by major film markets. “The US respects copyrights, even of content generated by AI… Korea and India have a good understanding of this global trend and overall movement,” she said.

She stressed that both countries should use this shared understanding to create a fair and secure environment for filmmakers, writers, and creative professionals. “We two countries can exchange information, and create our own ground with international laws, protecting the artists and creators, and their copyright. There’s some geological diplomacy involved in this,” she added.

Kim said the aim of both nations should be to develop a collaborative space that safeguards the creative industries on both sides. “Overall, I would like to focus on maximising and protecting each other’s industry and content creators,” she said.

At the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, Kim performed India’s national song, “Vande Mataram”, at the opening ceremony of the WAVES Film Bazaar.

Her performance received a standing ovation from the audience, including filmmakers and festival delegates. (ANI)